Hello, my family and I are planning to spend 2 weeks in rural Romania. We will be departing from Baia Mare and get to Vale - Sibiu, where we would like to rent a house (we will be 10 people in total). What would be the best way to get from Baia Mare to Vale? train? bus?
Oh! we are arriving from Canada to Budapest, and from there we need transport to Baia Mare, can you recommend a reliable transportation service?
Thank you kindly,
Natalia
Hi Natalia,
Not sure you want to do in Baia Mare, but if you like to visit rural area´s in Maramures (of which Baia Mare is indeed he capital city), you can best go north of the Gutai mountains. That is where the nicest villages and rural landscapes are. You can base yourself in one of the villages or in the regional small city of Sighet, which is a nice town (and nothing like Baia Mare).
If you still want go to BM: i think there is one bus a day from Budapest to BA. Takes around 8 hours. There is also a direct train from Budapest to Sighet. It leaves Budapest at 9.40 and arrives in Sighet at 23.12 in the evening.
Matthijs
Oh, and from Maramures to Sibiu: You can take the train, which involves change of trains in Cluj and Copsa Mica or a direct bus from Baia Mare.
Also, you say you are with a group of 10, which will make local transport for exploring villages in rural area's like Maramures very difficult. Most public transport are with minibuses, which is used by the locals as well, so the chances that there will be 10 free places will be extremely small. Hitch hiking is the other way to go around here, very easy for 2 or 3 people, but as you understand, very difficult for 10 people.
Maybe you can rent a van in BM (not possible in Sighet).
Matthijs